Insulated Concrete Forms are a special material we use for building homes. We were one of the first businesses in the area to build homes with ICFs, and the material remains one of our favorites to this day for a variety of different reasons.

ICFs aren’t new, in fact, they’ve been popular in Western Europe for quite a long time. Part of the reason ICFs aren’t well known in the US might be that they aren’t well-understood. People have a lot of questions when it comes to this unique material, and we’re going to try to answer some of the ones we come across most often right here.

Why Build my Home with Concrete?

ICFs aren’t just typical concrete. It’s a style of building that mixes a special blend of concrete with an interior insulation layer. The end result is a home with incredible strength, durability and climate consistency. That’s not even the end of the list of benefits. There are many other advantages to enjoy, including the awesome noise insulation, the fact that you can shape it however you want.

Will It Make My House look Unattractive?

Not at all! First of all, there are so many things you can do with concrete if you want a distinctive design or look. If you aren’t interested in a concrete look at all, that’s no problem. We can put whatever finish and siding you want on your completed custom home, and the fact that it’s built with concrete at all can be completely disguised.

What are the Building Limitations?

That depends on what you have in mind, but it is far, far easier to work certain designs into concrete than it is to do the same with a stick-built home. Concrete is incredibly shapeable, so you can pull off organic shapes and forms that would be impossible with other kinds of building materials. In general, the designs you like for other homes can be easily executed with concrete.

How Long Does it Last?

Strength and durability are a given. Even buildings built with concrete using ancient standards are still standing centuries and millennia after they were first constructed. ICF homes in particular have developed a reputation for being able to withstand the force of hurricanes. You can find a picture of one still standing alone after Hurricane Katrina on our ICF page.

If you want to build a home, and be sure that it will last for future generations, you can safely choose ICFs.

How Does it Stay Warm?

Warm and cold air does not pass through concrete easily, even less easily once we’ve installed the installation into the concrete. When you warm or cool an ICF home built by us, you can expect it to retain that temperature significantly longer than a normal home. Some of our customers have reported paying only a third the energy bill that they’re used to.

For more information, see: Want a Home That Stands Out in Maryland? ICFs are the Choice for Creatives!

Structural Insulated Panels, or SIPs, are one of several modern building materials we offer for home construction and renovations. There are many reasons to favor this new material over others that are on the market. Of course, it’s still a relatively unknown material, so we wanted to take a moment to cover some of the most common questions we get from people who are considering making their home a SIP home.

What is a SIP!?

SIPs are formed by wood panels covering a thick, insulating foam core. If you want to imagine what this look like, just think about an ice cream sandwich. The ice cream would be the foam, and the boards would make up the chocolate wafer. When two panels are wedged together, the foam inside them seals together chemically. This is a complete seal! From the floor to the ceiling, the two pieces are now fused together as solidly as if they were the same piece.  

Many panels would be needed to build a home, but the great thing is that they can all be created off-site. When we arrive to do the building, there’s almost no site waste because we arrive with everything we need.

What are the advantages of SIPs?

You may already be getting an idea of what makes SIPs so awesome. Because each section is completely sealed to the next ones on all sides, the home is incredibly sturdy, and controlling the climate inside your home is much easier than it would be with most materials.  There are other advantages, too! Because of the chemical composition of the foam, it is resistant to:

•         Insects
•         Fires
•         Natural Disasters
•         Moisture
•         More!

How are they safe from insects?

Besides the complete seals that wouldn’t allow in any uninvited guests, SIPs are naturally resistant to insects because they offer no nutrition whatsoever to our six or eight-legged friends. An insect could not survive after burrowing inside, and there is no way for pests like ants and termites to build colonies inside the walls.  

How are they safe from fires?

SIP panels are naturally fire resistant, and are not made of any materials that can be easily ignited.

How long do SIPs homes last?

The bond between SIPs panels is permanent for the lifetime of the home, and that’s as long, or longer, than homes made with most other types of materials. The sturdiness of these types of home is something that shouldn’t be overlooked. They can last longer because they’re resistant to both the most common and most extreme types of wear.

SIPs homes are incredibly storm, hurricane and earthquake resistant. The way the panels are connected keeps them from easily being separated at any point.